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Chilean Civil War
Left-wing militias Logistical support/aid Britannia | combatant2 = Chilean Rebels Right-wing militias Logistical support/aid United States Argentina Colombia | combatant3 = | commander1 = Salvador Allende Raul Montero | commander2 = Augusto Pinochet Gustave Leigh Jose Toribio Merino | commander3 = | units1 = | units2 = | units3 = | strength1 = | strength2 = | strength3 = | casualties1 = | casualties2 = | casualties3 = | notes = | campaignbox = }} The Chilean Civil War (Spanish: Guerra Civil Chilena) was a civil war fought in Chile from 1973 to 1977, between generally left-wing forces supporting the government of Salvador Allende, and generally right-wing forces supporting a partially successful coup d'état launched by general Augusto Pinochet on September 11, 1973. This coup had been supported by the United States, some of its allies, and a significant portion of the conservative political opposition to Allende's government. The government was supported by various left-wing militias, not all of which had supported Allende's government prior to the coup, and several countries generally aligned internationally with the . Initially, right-wing forces controlled most of the country, but popular uprisings in major cities were sometimes successful in transferring control to pro-Allende forces. These uprisings accelerated after massacres by Pinochet's forces. The rightists were confined mostly to the south by 1976. The leftists won in 1977, and in the aftermath modified the constitution to include democratic socialist principles. Over 300,000 people were killed in the war, and it is often considered a proxy war between socialist countries, including the , , and Britannia, and anti-socialist countries, including the United States, Argentina, and Colombia. Background , President of Chile from 1970 to 1984]] Chile had suffered increasing political polarization in the years leading up to the war. This culminated with the narrow election of Salvador Allende in 1970, who embarked on a socialist program including nationalization of the mines and other measures. Many of the controversial policies that Allende implemented during his initial three years in the presidency angered both the previous ruling class and the conservative opposition. Friction between him and his opponents culminated in the opposition, who controlled the legislature, declaring his rule to be unconstitutional. This occurred after the Christian Democrats, who had crucially supported Allende's presidency earlier in the term, changed sides, and opposed his government. A large amount of the opposition is believed to have been supported by enemies of Allende, in particular, the United States, who allegedly conducted various covert operations to destabilize the government. The Supreme Court also became opposed to the government by May 1973. On September 11, 1973, an attempted military coup lead by General Augusto Pinochet took place, which was supported by various anti-socialist countries. Military Coup By 7:00 am on 11 September 1973, the Navy captured Valparaiso, strategically stationing ships and marine infantry in the central coast and closed radio and television networks. The Province Prefect informed Allende of the military actions. He was evacuated from Santiago by a group of defectors from the military, to the San Joaquin industrial zone in southern Santiago. Shortly after 8:00, the coup began, and the Presidential Palace was bombarded by the Air Force, believing that Allende was inside. After contacting the palace to demand Allende's resignation, the coup organizers realized that Allende was not inside, and instead decided to secure control of major cities in the country in order to search for him, while planning to declare to the nation that he had abandoned Chile. However, by this time, Allende had broadcasted an speech to the country announcing that a coup was ongoing, and called for the military to defect against the command and the people to resist. A significant minority of the military did so, and combined with armed volunteers, they began to establish a front in opposition to the attempted coup. The Commander of the Navy, Raul Montero, was one of the most notable government supporters. His telephone and cars had been sabotaged to stop opposition to the coup, but he was able to regain command over a large portion of the Navy by the evening. Massive demonstrations appeared in the streets to support Allende, causing defection or withdrawal of several military units, sympathetic to the citizens and unwilling to commit massacres. Bloody street combat broke out in some areas. By the end of the day, the rebels had taken control of several important cities (including Arica, Iquique, most of Valparaiso, Talca, Temuco, and Talcahuano), much of the south, and many of the economically important areas in the north. Antofagasta, Coquimbo, Concepcion, La Serena, Rancagua, and Valdivia remained in loyalist control, while Santiago was in turmoil, with the rebels slowly solidifying control of the main city, while the surrounding areas were very divided. Combatants The combatants were split into forces supporting the government of Salvador Allende, and those opposing it. Various left-wing and right-wing militias popped up to support the government and the rebels, respectively. Unlike in similar left-right struggles of the century, leftists were almost completely united behind support for Allende. In addition to the leftists, some groups previously opposed or neutral to Allende's government supported Allende, such as a faction of Christian Democrats, viewing the coup as illegal. Like other conflicts, rightists were united by opposition to the incumbent government, including conservatives and the wealthy, opposed to socialism. Foreign Involvement There was a large amount of foreign involvement on both sides, and for this, the conflict is sometimes considered a proxy war. The United States was the primary backer of the rebels, as Allende's government had pursued leftist policies and established closer relations with Cuba. Colombia and Argentina, both led by fascist military juntas, also provided significant support. On the side of the government, the Soviet Union provided substantial support, viewing it as a chance to limit US influence in South America. Cuba heavily supported the government, and provided weapons, military advisors (a large portion of the Chilean command had joined the rebels), and volunteer troops. Originally, Bolivia, then under a right-wing dictatorship, had desired to support the rebels, but after Allende agreed to allow Bolivian use of a few ports in northern Chile (which Pinochet had outright refused), agreed to remain neutral. Peru, at the time under a leftist government, was also heavily involved. It opportunistically invaded the northern section of Chile, then controlled by the rebels, in March 1974, claiming that it rightfully controlled areas that Chile had taken in the , prompting diplomatic outcry. During this intervention, a huge section of the rebel Air Force was wiped out, but plans to invade south of the once-Peruvian territory were thrown out. Then-leader of Peru, , was removed from power in a coup on August 30, 1975, leading to Peruvian withdrawal from the conflict in order to appease the international community. Course of the War 1973 Rebel forces moved quickly to gain control over the remainder of the country. Civilian unrest in rebel controlled territories were put down brutally. The military killed thousands of Chilean leftists, both real and suspected. On the 12th of September, the military imprisoned 40,000 political enemies, including singer , in the National Stadium of Chile. Many were tortured and/or executed, and after news of this was released, several more divisions of the military defected to supporting the government. On the 18th of September, a crucial defection by portions of the Navy in Valparaiso to the command of loyalist Commander Raul Montero (who had emerged as the de facto leader of the loyalist militias), left Valparaiso to join Montero's loyalist forces in Coquimbo. Fierce urban fighting resulted in continued split control in Santiago. By November, the loyalists had won control over most of the coast between Puerto Montt and just south of Valparaiso, as well as areas surrounding La Serena and Antofagasta and the Central Valley between southern Santiago and just north of Talca. One of the first major traditional battles occurred in Concepcion, when the rebels attempted on November 3 to take control, but were repelled. On December 14, the rebels successfully captured a significant section of southern Santiago, but were halted eventually. Allende's whereabouts this point are believed to have been in Valdivia. 1974 In January, a military defection to the government and uprising occurred in Osorno, successfully transferring control to the government. The rebels responded with an attack on Antofagasta, but were unsuccessful. In February, pro-government forces attempted to take the rebel-controlled portion of the southern Central Valley, between Temuco and Talca, but were repelled. Further skirmishes occurred in Santiago and Valparaiso, still not completely under rebel control. The major turning point in the war was on March 10, when Peru announced an invasion of Chile. They quickly wiped out a huge portion of the rebel air force, and captured Arica and Iquique with days, solidifying control over the north by April. This wiped out a large section of rebel forces, allowing pro-government forces to recapture significant portions of Santiago. A popular uprising, combined with Cuban bombardment of rebel controlled parts of Santiago, allowed the government to gain nearly complete control of Santiago by June. This gave a large boost in morale to the pro-government forces, who would move on to capture Valparaiso in a joint navy and army assault in mid July. Meanwhile, Peru continued to attack southward, capturing Calama in July as well. However, a government attack on Copiapo was repelled. 1975 1976 1977 Atrocities Social Changes Category:AltverseCategory:Socialist Chile